1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cooling apparatus for a vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cooling apparatus preferably applicable to a water-cooled saddle-riding type vehicle.
2. Description of Background Art
Conventionally, a vehicle, e.g., a water-cooled saddle-riding type vehicle, includes a radiator and an oil cooler. The radiator is a cooling device for cooling coolant to cool an engine mounted on a vehicle frame. Furthermore, the oil cooler is a cooling device for cooling lubricating oil for lubrication of the engine.
As disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Utility-Model Application No. Sho 62-146693, for example, a radiator, facing forward, is attached to a front position of the vehicle frame.
Since the cooling device in the above document is exposed on the front position of the vehicle frame, if an obstacle or the like approaches a front part of the vehicle body, the cooling device comes into direct contact with the obstacle.
To solve this problem, in the background art, a protective member projecting far forward of the cooling device is provided on the front part of the vehicle frame, to protect the cooling device since the protective member receives the obstacle or the like instead of the cooling device.
However, in this countermeasure of the background art, the vehicle weight is increased due to the addition of the protective member.
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems of the background art, and has as its object to provide a cooling apparatus for a vehicle, which protects a cooling device that does not increase the weight of the vehicle as in the background art.
In the cooling apparatus for a vehicle according to a first aspect of the present invention, to attain the above-mentioned object, a cooling apparatus for a vehicle is mounted on a vehicle having a vehicle frame and a steering member provided in a front upper position of the vehicle frame, wherein the apparatus has a heat exchanger that performs heat exchange using outside air, and wherein the heat exchanger is provided within an area formed with a vertical plane passing through a front end of the vehicle frame and a horizontal plane passing through an upper end of the steering member.
In the cooling apparatus for a vehicle according to a third aspect of the present invention, the heat exchanger according to the first or second aspects of the present invention includes a radiator that cools coolant and an oil cooler that cools lubricating oil. Furthermore, the oil cooler is attached on a front surface of the radiator.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.